Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Looking for good gift ideas for the beauty addict in your life? Or even gift ideas for yourself... that's fine too. Behold the Sultra Limited Edition Wicked Gold Decadence iron. Now this is something that would make an amazing gift. If I had someone to give it to, I'd love to give this as a gift myself. No one I know uses a flat iron, otherwise I'd be seriously considering putting this little gold gem under the tree. It seems so glam and luxurious!

The shiny gold bag included with the Wicked Gold Decadence is a heat-resistant iron clutch.

The thing that makes the Wicked different from other irons I've used is that it has no settings. Just an on/off switch. It heats to 375º, so all you need to do is turn it on.

When you flip the switch, a red light indicates that the power is on, but what's cool about this is that you'll also hear a little tone to alert you as well. As the iron reaches full temperature, the indicator light blinks and you hear another tone that lets you know it's ready to use. The sound it makes sounds like one of those Tamagotchi digi pets I had in the 90s. Highly amusing.

My hair is fine and thin and has an annoying half-wavy texture. Some parts are very wavy, some are completely straight, and it's not even all the way around. My hair is not difficult to straighten, but it does have a tendency to get very, very flat if I over-iron it.

This is my natural texture at the waviest part of my hair.

This is how it looks with one pass of the Wicked iron.

I've been using a Wicked iron (the pink one) for a few months, and the Gold Decadence seems to be exactly the same except for the color. So, after a good, thorough testing, here's what I think about the Sultra Wicked:

It's less than half the price of my previous iron, the Hana Elite. It's also slightly less expensive than a comparable iron like the ghd 1" Classic, and about the same price as a T3 1" iron or a Chi 1" iron.

Occasionally the iron would glitch out after powering on and continuously beep and not fully heat. Not sure what caused this, but turning it off, unplugging it and plugging it back in fixed the problem.

It could be a little more gold. I'm serious! If it looked more foil-like and glossy like the bag that comes with it, it would be amazing.

People with very thick hair may need a higher temperature than 375º to be able to straighten in one pass.

It's not a solid gold telephone.

Really having a hard time finding any flaws with this iron; it works extremely well for me and there's not actually anything I dislike about it.

Honestly, I think this iron is practically perfect. It straightens my hair in one pass. It only over-flattens my hair if I overdo it on styling product. 375º seems to be the perfect temperature for my hair because it straightens it quickly but doesn't sizzle or make my hair feel fried or dry or rough. It doesn't have any bells or whistles like the other irons I've used, but the price is right and it works. I would definitely pay $165 for one of these. I'm not crazy about the pink one, but if I had the choice, I'd buy the gold or the black without hesitation.

The Limited Edition Sultra Wicked Gold Decadence 1" Iron is available from Nordstrom or directly from Sultra.

11 comments:

Grace, hahaha! I have a three! I've been through a ton of crappy ones and learned my lesson. Reviewing them is fun because you actually get to see what makes a good one good and what makes a cheap one, well... cheap. Too bad I don't still have this horrible Revlon Jade flat iron I used to use- the edge was like sandpaper and that sucker ripped my hair more than it straightened it. Would have been a fun review to write!

Having a licensed hair stylist sister, I have heard all about how flat irons should have temperature settings, because you should use the lowest setting it takes to straighten your hair, to minimize damage. Why a $165 iron would completely bypass that, I'm not sure.

Shattered, I hear that all the time from hairstylists, but here's the problem: Using it on the lower settings just doesn't work for me! I don't have thick or coarse hair, so I don't understand why a lower temperature doesn't work for me. Even in the mid 200 range it just takes a million passes to smooth down my loose waves.

That said, 375 is right around the middle of the temperature range of the irons I've used, so I don't think it's unusual or unreasonable to only have one setting in this case.

Thank you for the review!!! It sounds like you really like it, but your hair is thin and wavy in places! I bought the wicked pink one in the black friday sales and will review it! I have coarse and curly hair and want to see if its worth it. I've fallen out of love with my sedu and Chi, and Im looking to cheat on them with something better. I tried the GHD in sephora and was less than impressed so I never bought it. I always blow my hair straight before lightly going at the roots! I will see if 375 will cut it, if so I might invest in the seductress $200+ ....

Scrangie, I'm not saying the lowest setting possible on your iron - I have to crank mine up, too, and my hair's only wavy. I'm saying the lowest temp that works for you, versus using the highest setting possible automatically, which is, sadly, what a lot of people do.

My Wicked Baroque stopped heating and just beeps a bunch :-( I only used it for a week, am I missing something? I was fast in love with it only after a week, can't believe how fast and how shiney it makes my hair!

I am so bummed, just got my Wicked Baroque and used it for a week, love how shiney and straight it makes my hair with SO LITTLE EFFORT! However, not it just beeps a bunch but wont heat up? :-( I have tried turning it on and off but it dosnt work? Any ideas, I miss my wickedness!